章節 33: Chapter 32: First Acquaintance

"This place is huge!" Tetsutetsu exclaimed as he looked around the sprawling campus of U.A. High School in awe.

"For real," Jiro agreed, glancing around as well. She tried to be discreet, but her eyes flickered over the other students wearing the same U.A. uniform as them, clearly just as curious.

"And there are so many students..." Tetsutetsu added, his initial excitement cooling off as his expression became more neutral. He even started stuffing his hands into his pockets, like he was already used to the vibe of being at U.A.

It was easy to tell that Tetsutetsu was beginning to see himself as part of this prestigious Hero school. His demeanor showed how simple guys like him could adapt quickly.

"Well, that makes sense," Kaminari chimed in from the front, keeping his eyes on the signs directing them toward Class 1-A. "U.A. doesn't just have the Hero Course, but also the Support Course, Business Administration, and even regular academic tracks."

"But even for the general subjects, U.A. accepts way fewer students than other schools. The entrance exams for U.A., whether practical or written, are no joke," Kaminari continued, leading the way as the three of them entered an elevator to the fifth floor.

The elevator opened to reveal a large hallway. To the left were classrooms for the Support and Business Administration courses, and on the right were those for the Hero Course.

"Here it is... Hero Course, Class 1-A," Kaminari announced as they approached a door with "1-A" painted in bold red letters above it. The number seemed almost too large, giving the door an intimidating presence.

But there was no reason to be nervous. They'd made it. They were here, ready to meet their classmates and start their journey as heroes.

Kaminari, with a calm expression, pushed the door open and stepped inside. He felt a surge of curiosity more than anything—wondering who his new classmates would be and what kind of Quirks they had.

As the door swung open, the room fell silent. The students who had already taken their seats turned to look at the three newcomers.

For a moment, everyone just stared at each other, as if sizing one another up.

Then, a tall boy in the back with glasses suddenly stood up. With a serious expression, he walked toward them, stopping in front of Kaminari, Tetsutetsu, and Jiro before extending his right hand.

"Good morning!" he said in a formal tone. "I am Iida Tenya, from Soumei Private Academy! I look forward to working with you all."

Kaminari recognized him immediately as the same Iida who'd left a strong impression during the entrance exam. Despite their tense interaction back then, Kaminari didn't hold any grudges. He reached out and shook Iida's hand.

"Kaminari Denki," he introduced himself.

"Jiro Kyoka," Jiro said coolly, giving a small nod.

Tetsutetsu, on the other hand, puffed out his chest and declared proudly, "Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu! I'm going to be the hardest, most hardcore hero out there!"

For a moment, no one in the room reacted. But a red-haired boy sitting near the back raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Though he said nothing, it was clear from his expression that he was already making a mental note to challenge Tetsutetsu at some point.

The three of them made their way to seats by the windows, with Kaminari taking the middle one. As soon as he sat down, a taller-than-average girl with long black hair sitting nearby turned to look at him, her eyes lighting up with interest.

"Kaminari... Denki?"

"Uh, yeah?" Kaminari responded, flashing a polite smile, already used to people recognizing his name.

"Hello, my name is Yaoyorozu Momo," she said with a warm smile. "I've heard your music before."

Kaminari's eyebrows lifted slightly, surprised to meet someone here who knew his music. Yaoyorozu continued, "I'm not particularly into rock, but your songs are really enjoyable to listen to."

"Especially Only My Railgun. Though I think Hero is more of a boy's song," she added with a playful glint in her eyes.

"Thanks. It's an honor to know you liked them," Kaminari replied smoothly, having heard similar compliments from fans many times before. Even though Yaoyorozu was a beautiful girl, he remained composed.

"Pfft." Yaoyorozu suddenly laughed, giving him a playful glance. "Come on, we're classmates now! Is it really okay to be so formal?"

She then leaned in slightly and added with a teasing smile, "I've seen your page on MTV before. That's not how you replied to comments on there!"

Kaminari was momentarily speechless, while the other students who had been observing the exchange began whispering among themselves. Some of them seemed to be connecting the dots, realizing that Kaminari might actually be more than just a regular student.

A pink-haired girl sitting nearby quickly pulled out her phone and, after a moment of searching, gasped. "Wait a minute! You're the guy who sang Only My Railgun!?"

As soon as she said it, the rest of the students who were unfamiliar with the music scene started reacting too.

Several of them took out their phones and began searching for him, and soon the room was buzzing with murmurs of surprise.

"It's really him!"

"No way! Our classmate is the creator of Only My Railgun?" exclaimed Toru Hagakure, whose invisible figure was only noticeable by her floating clothes. Tetsutetsu kept glancing at her, clearly fascinated by her Quirk.

"Wait, Hero is your song too? I've listened to that track at least ten times!" shouted the red-haired boy from earlier—Kirishima Eijiro.

Even students who hadn't joined in on the phone searches, like Todoroki and Tokoyami, now glanced at Kaminari with mild interest.

Kaminari raised a hand, giving a small wave as he addressed the class. "Thanks, everyone. I appreciate the support, but remember—right now, I'm not a singer or a star. I'm just a student in Class 1-A of U.A., just like all of you. I look forward to working with you."

His calm response was met with approving nods. Kaminari knew this kind of attention wouldn't last long. After today, once everyone got used to him, it would all die down. They'd see him as a fellow student rather than a celebrity.

*Bang!*

The door to the classroom suddenly swung open with a loud crash. The sound reverberated through the room, and everyone froze.

All eyes turned toward the entrance, where a boy with spiky, ash-blonde hair stood. His whole posture screamed arrogance. From the way he walked to the way he carried himself, he looked more like a delinquent than a student.

With a loud thud, he slumped into a seat in the back of the room, casually propping his feet up on the desk.

Kaminari watched him with mild annoyance. He didn't know this guy personally, but he didn't like him already. There was something about his demeanor that just rubbed Kaminari the wrong way. It wasn't just a matter of age, it was something simpler than that. He just didn't like this type of person.

"You!"